Briticisms

[Geoff Bannister]

I've only just picked up on this thread since I seem to be running 
round like a headless chicken keeping up with the main group posts!

I speak as a native English speaker, considered to have a good 
command of the language. I have moved in my own professional group of 
teachers and have obviously worked with pupils and members of church 
youth groups as well as socialising with a wide range of other folk 
and so can use my native language quite naturally in formal, informal 
or idiomatic situations.

Firstly, to consider the 'lavatorial' discussions. I cannot recall 
hearing a native UK English speaker talk about going to the bathroom 
when he or she meant the toilet. You go to the bathroom to have a 
wash or a bath (or a shower). Normal practice is to say (formally) 
that you are going to the toilet or (informally) to the loo - among 
other casual names! Again, a cloakroom is a place to put your coats, 
in a school or a public building or even at home.

If you want to go to the toilet, the usual question is "May I use 
your toilet?" or, in an informal situation, "May I use your loo?" or 
in a public area asking, say, a member of staff, "Can you tell me 
where the toilets are please?"

WC is used on plans or sometimes on direction signs in public 
buildings. At one time, the word 'loo' was not considered polite. I 
can rememebr being very surprised when my future mother-in-law - who 
was quite formal in her speech - referred to the loo many years  ago. 
Nowadays, it is used almost universally. 

Secondly, moving on to 'chuffed'. I would use the word in the sense 
of being /extremely/ pleased or satisfied with something that had 
happened. 

The dictionary I use most defines it as:
Brit.informal delighted giving the etymology as being from a dialect 
word...though I don't know which regional dialect.